New Years Day and Black Eyed Peas
December 30, 2016
When I was little, every year my dad would cook Corned Beef and Cabbage for New Year’s Day He would also serve Black Eyed Peas, and we all had to have our Black Eyed Peas sometime during the day. As I got older and started my own family, I decided to carry on that tradition.
I sat here today, thinking oh my….I better get to the store and get my Corned Beef and Black Eyed Peas. Now I must admit, that I have always done the peas the lazy way, and just bought them in a can, warmed them up and that was our dish. I may add a little bacon if I was feeling a little “festive” that day, but for the most part I just cut up some onion and added to the canned peas. I personally love them, although I can’t say that for the rest of the family. My hubby likes them as much as I do, however the kids are a different story. Of course that didn’t stop me from mandating that they ate them each year. My daughter, Tiffany, always holds her nose and swallows. She seriously hates them!! I only require they have a teaspoonful each New Years, so she manages. This year she is pregnant , so I am curious to see how that goes over. LOL My granddaughters have decided that they way their Aunt Tiffany eats the peas is the best way to get through the mandate of having to have their teaspoonful each year.
I have compiled a list of recipes for you below on how to make Black Eyed Peas from scratch, instead of just buying the boring can at the grocery store. Several of the recipes call for either ham or sausage. You may have a ham bone or ham leftover from Christmas, this would be a great way to finish it off and clean out the fridge!
I am hoping to entice my children to WANT to eat them this year, by trying one of these recipes. I will include a write up about it after New Years and let y’all know how that goes.
A little history on WHY we eat Black Eyed Peas:
Two popular explanations for the South’s association with peas and good luck dates back to the Civil War. The first is associated with Gen. William T. Sherman’s Union Army’s March to the Sea, during which they pillaged the food supplies of the Confederates. Stories say peas and salted pork were said to be left untouched because of the belief that they were animal food and not fit for human consumption. Southerners considered themselves lucky to be left with some supplies to help them survive the winter, and black-eyed peas evolved into a representation of good luck. In other traditions, it was a symbol of emancipation for African-Americans who had previously been enslaved before the civil war who became free officially on New Year’s Day (Per Wikipedia)
I am curious, what does your family eat on New Years Day? Do you have any food traditions? Let me know in the comments below so I can see what other families do. If you chose one of the recipes I included, I would love to hear how that works out for you as well in comments!!!
BLACK EYED PEA RECIPES
Black Eyed Peas with Smoked Sausage
CrockPot Black Eyed Peas with Ham
Thanks for including my Smoked Sausage and Black-Eyed Peas! I’m definitely making it on the 1st to start out the new year right. Happy New Year to you and yours! 🙂
I have black-eyed peas with fat back. Greens and cornbread. I was raised in the south, so this is really good eating. Love it anytime. Fried chicken would top it all off.
The black-eyed peas with sausages sound yummy! I can put it in my crock pot overnight while I sleep.I eat peas/beans more during the cold/cooler months, but with the sausages this could be a year round recipe.
This sounds like a great recipe to follow! I have never made my own but will definitely save your recipe for next year. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
I love the Slow Cooked Black Eyed Peas recipe. I finally have a slow cooker, and I do like bean dishes as a main source of protein and other nutrients. No need to only have it once a year!
I am so cooking these this year.
I did a trial run and they were wonderful.